


The Fellowship of the Doctor

by worldstealers



Category: Doctor Who, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Fellowship of the Ring, Rivendell | Imladris, TARDIS - Freeform, Thirteenth Doctor Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 13:43:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19769410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/worldstealers/pseuds/worldstealers
Summary: The City of the Elves is beautiful, but it can be a bit boring. So when Merry and Pippin meet a wild-eyed stranger who claims to have come from a box in the sky, they can't help but be just a bit excited. However, this Doctor and her companions haven't come alone. They've unleashed danger into Rivendell, just in time for the Council of Elrond, and it will be up to Merry and Pippin to help catch the creature before it wreaks havoc!This story was originally read as part of the World Stealers podcast. To listen to this and more original fanfiction, find us wherever you listen to podcasts!





	The Fellowship of the Doctor

Meriadoc Brandybuck and Perigrin Took perched side by side on a low stone wall, short legs and hairy feet dangling carelessly above a sheer drop of hundreds of feet down to where the waterfalls crashed into the rocky riverbed below. Elrond had warned them about the dangers of falling; that not even the healing powers of the elves could help them survive the drop, but Elrond was off with Gandalf tending to Frodo’s wounds, and the others were too preoccupied to notice much of what Pip and Merry got up to. For the better part of the day the two had wandered around the expansive elven stronghold, nicking food when they could and trying to befriend the elves, who smiled at them in a silent, amused sort of way before going quietly about their business. Finally they had settled on the wall, Pippin munching on an apple as Merry sighed and leaned forward as much as he dared without losing his balance. 

“I’m bored, Pip. Where is everyone? What’s Strider up to?”

“Dunno. I think I saw him go off with Arwen a while ago. Whaddaya think is up with those two?”

“All I know is I’ve never seen so many meaningful glances in such a short period of time!”

“I’ll say. I’d reckon about three glances per minute at this rate!”

“If not more!”

Pippin grinned and took a bite of his apple, but Merry’s face clouded.

“Pip?”

“Mmmf?” Pip answered, mouth still full.

“Do you think Frodo is going to be ok?”

Pippin swallowed, looking suddenly serious.

“I don’t know. I’m glad he’s awake now but… that was a bad wound. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Me neither.”

They lapsed into an uncharacteristic silence, each remembering the horrors of Weathertop and the fight with the Nazgul king. Then Pippin grinned and tossed his half-eaten apple up in the air, catching it as it came down.

“But of course Frodo will be fine. He’s a Baggins! If they’ve got nothing else they’ve got longevity, those Bagginses!”

“What’s a Baggins?”

Startled, Merry whipped around towards the stranger’s voice and fell backwards, crashing onto the stone floor of the balcony. Pippin, less lucky, choked on a bit of apple and, in an attempt to cough it out, lost his balance and began to topple forward over the rail. Merry cried out in horror and flung himself towards his friend, knowing there was no way he’d get to Pippin in time, sure that, as Elrond had warned them, Pip’s body would be dashed to pieces on the rocks below. But in a blur of tan and rainbow the stranger leapt over the rail, holding on to it with one hand as the other clutched the terrified Pippin by the suspenders. 

“Sorry! Sorry! So sorry! I’ve got you though see? Didn’t mean to scare you like that. Thank goodness for suspenders, eh? Dead useful! And cool! This lot made fun of me when I got them but you never know when they’ll come in handy! Speaking of handy, could someone give us a hand here? Yaz? Ryan? Graham?”

As she spoke three other figures appeared as if out of nowhere and began to haul her and the still terrified Pippin back up over the railing. Pippin toppled onto the ground next to Merry and both hobbits sat, panting and stunned, looking up at the woman peering down at them with interest. She was flanked on one side by another, younger woman and a young man, roughly the same age; and on the other by a much older man. 

“Hi there!” said the first woman, grinning broadly. “I’m the Doctor. This lot here are Yaz, Ryan, and Graham. My friends and I are strangers here and we were hoping maybe you could help us out, like for example, telling us where here is and who you are and if anything unusual is going on that we should know about? Oh and sorry again about nearly scaring you to death. Literally.”

The hobbits stared at her for a long moment and then, out of nowhere and a bit hysterically, Pippin began to laugh. 

“What are you laughing at Pip? You sound like a crazy person.”

“I know, I’m sorry, it’s just that that wasn’t even the scariest way we’ve been nearly killed in the past few days.”

At this, Merry grinned. “No,” he said. “I suppose it’s not. Isn’t Rivendell supposed to be safe?”

At this they both collapsed in laughter. The young man next to the doctor looked slightly annoyed. 

“Maybe you kids shouldn’t be sitting up on railings in the first place then, if you’re looking to be safe.”

At this both hobbits glanced up sharply.

“Oy mate, we’re not kids!” said Merry, getting to his feet and looking fierce. “We’re halflings!”

“Yes, Ryan, don’t be rude” said the Doctor, turning to her companion. “They’re halflings! What’s a halfling?”

Pippin scrambled to his feet as well. “You know, hobbits? Shire folk?”

“Wait a moment.” The young woman stepped forward as she spoke for the first time. “Are you having a go? Hobbits, you said?”

“Yes.” 

“And you said we’re in Rivendell?”

“Yes!”

“Like, Rivendell, city of Elves?”

“Oh my god.” This was the old man, some sort of realization dawning on his face.

“And you lot have been traveling with two other Hobbits and a Ranger named Strider?”

“How do you know all that?” asked Pippin.

“Yes, Yaz, how do you know all that?” asked the Doctor.

“Well Doc, I think I know where we are. But I don’t think you’re gonna like it.”

“Why not? I love new places. New places are brilliant!”

“Yeah it’s just that… this place isn’t real.”

*************************

“So what you’re saying is, we get to be so famous that in your world there are books about us?!?”

Pippin and Merry perched one of three beds in the large, sunlit room to which they had led the Doctor upon her request for a place a bit more out of the way. Yaz, Ryan and Graham sat on a second bed as the Doctor paced the room, running her sonic up and down the walls and over the furniture. Ignoring her, Yaz had been trying fruitlessly to explain how she knew so much about the two wide-eyed hobbits in front of her.

“Well, yeah, sort of. I mean, how do I say it? In our world you’re… not real. Just storybook characters.”

“So we’re total legends! That’s even better!”

“Well, I guess, it’s just that we thought someone named JRR Tolkien – “

“Oy, Yaz!” ‘Ryan interrupted. “It might not be the best use of our time telling two people – err hobbits, sorry – sitting right in front of us that in our world they don’t exist?”

“Yeah,” Merry piped up. “Of course we don’t exist in your world, we’re a little busy existing in our own. HEY!” This he yelled at the Doctor, who was now climbing onto a third, pristinely made up bed in order to sonic the ceiling. “We’re trying to keep that one nice in case Sam ever takes a break from watching over Frodo and needs a nap!”

“Oh is Frodo still recovering from the battle at Weathertop?” Graham asked with interest. Yaz and Ryan both turned to stare at him. “What? Those books were around long before you read them. Or” looking at Ryan, “saw the movies in your case.”

“Wow,” grinned Pippin, “we really are famous. They even know about Weathertop.”

“Well there won’t be much more to know. As soon as Frodo wakes up we’re headed back to the Shire. And thank goodness. I could use a good couple of meals. This elf food is good but it doesn’t really fill you up.”

“Nothing really fills you up.”

“Well actually, I’m not sure you’ll be going back –“

“YAZ!” the Docor broke in, leaping down from the bed. “I don’t know much about this story, never got into it, not really my style, though I did meet Peter Jackson one time, weird guy, makes a great sandwich – but I do know about spoilers. You might know the whole story but Pippin and Merry don’t! So be careful!”

“Sorry. They were just my favorite books as a kid.”

“Nerd”

“At least I can read, Ryan.”

“ANYWAY” the Doctor went on. “What we have to figure out now is how did we get here, where is here, and, most important of all, what happened to the Kymbra Chimera?”

They sat silently as voiced drifted up from one of the balconies below.

“…and Saruman, you tell me, has betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin.”

“His treachery runs deeper than you know. With foul craft Saruman has crossed Orcs with Goblin men…”

The voices drifted back into unintelligible murmurs. 

“Sorry, was that Gandalf? And Elrond???? Did I just over hear a conversation between Gandalf the Grey and the Lord of Rivendell?!?!?!”

“Sorry, but did he say ‘crossed Orcs with Goblin men’? What does that even mean? Merry, I think we’d better get ourselves right back to the Shire.”

“Sorry, but did no one hear me say WE’VE UNLEASHED A KYMBRA CHIMERA INTO THE MIDDLE OF THIS?”

At the Doctor’s words the room fell silent. 

“Right, so, we’ve really got to find it and get out, yes? Merry, Pippin, will you help us?”

“Yeah sure!”

“Count us in. Always trust a Took, as they say!”

“And a Brandybuck!”

“They only thing is –“

“Yeah small question –“ 

“What’s a Kymbra Chimera?”

“Oh, right, yes, well it’s a shapeshifter. We, ah, may have had one riding along on the TARDIS, taking advantage of the slight atmospheric extension. I was trying to shake it off but somehow my stellar evasive maneuvering ended up with a bit of an unexpected landing. Here, that is. And by the time we got out of the ship the Chimera had disappeared. Well, probably not disappeared so much as shifted. That’s the problem with a creature that can take on any form, very tricky to find you know.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Well, yes and no. Mostly yes. Steals energy from its target, sucks the life force out of them. BUT we have one advantage. Sooner or later it’s going to try to shift into the form of a person and it’s really really bad at clothes. Tries to copy them but thinks they’re a part of the body. So they look sort of painted on. It’s not easy to spot at first but eventually you figure out that someone’s cloak is made of skin.”

“Oh gross Doctor.”

“Gross, but useful information nonetheless.”

“So what do we do?”

“Yaz, you come with me, we’re going to go check in on the TARDIS, see if she can help us track the Chimera. Graham, Ryan, you go with Merry and Pippin, see if you see or hear anything unusual, anyone behaving strangely. And everyone, try to blend in!”

Ryan laughed. “That’s easier said than done, Doc. Haven’t noticed too many black or brown elves, eh?”

“Or anyone who looks over the age of thirty,” Graham chimed in.

“Gandalf is super old,” said Pippin.

“And he sticks out like sore thumb, Pip.”

“Good point.”

“Well, do your best everyone. Meet back here with any news.”

***************************************

“Don’t you remember where you parked it?”

“Not it, her. And yes of course I remember where. It’s just that in all the confusion I may have lost track of how to get there. This place is very big and twisty.”

Yaz and the Doctor stood behind a large stone column in a dark passageway. They had been wandering for what felt like hours and still no sign of the TARDIS, nor any word from the others. 

“Now, do we go that way? Or is that the way we came? This Elvish architecture, it’s very beautiful but everything looks the same! Maybe if we – “

A metallic clanging filled the room. Yaz peered around the corner and came face to face with a large, cloaked man sucking petulantly on his finger. He made as if to stride past them down the hall but Yaz didn’t move.

“Boromir!” 

Boromir stopped and took his finger from his lips. A trickle of blood ran down it and dropped to the stone floor.

“I beg your pardon, elf girl! How dare you address me by my name. Out of my way!”

“Oh sorry, it’s just that – “

“Are you deaf? I said begone!”

“Hey, mate,” said the Doctor, stepping out from behind the pillar as well. “Don’t talk to my friend like that. If you’ve got somewhere to be you’d better get on with it.”

“Who are these women that they dare address the Steward-prince of Gondor in such a manner?”

“Well, she’s Yaz and I’m the Doctor. And you are bleeding.”

“I know,” muttered Boromir. “Who knew a broken blade would be so sharp.”

“Well as I always say, swords are stupid, dangerous things.”

“Do you always say that, Doctor?”

“Well, I spose not, but maybe I’ll start! It’s true anyway.”

“Who are you two?”

“Like I said, she’s Yaz and I’m the Doctor. By the way, since we have you here, you haven’t seen a big blue rectangle of a police box lying around, have you?”

Boromir blinked at her. “Well, I don’t know what a police box is, but there’s a structure matching that description, yes. The things these Elves build, I ask you.”  
“Elves, yes, exactly. Where did you see it, if you don’t mind?”

“Just down that corridor there, in the small court yard off to the right.”

“Brilliant! Well we must be off, see you around, Boromir, was it? Take care of that finger, wouldn’t want to get an infection! Come on, Yaz, the TARDIS needs us!”

****************************************

“Here we are!” cried Pippin cheerfully, as he led the others into a small room that smelled faintly of hay and horses. “You ought to be able to find some cloaks and things that fit you here. You’re all about elf-sized and I’m sure they won’t mind if we borrow some gear.”

“Fantastic boys!” said Graham, pulling a finely-woven, earth-colored cloak off a shelf. “This will do nicely. Grab a couple for Yaz and the Doctor, will you Ryan?”

“How did you know this would be here, Pip?” asked Merry.

Pippin shrugged. “I saw the stables as we were wandering around. I figured they must keep spare riding gear somewhere near. Haven’t you noticed men and elves won’t get on a horse without all sorts of special equipment?”

“True. They’re vain, aren’t they? Not like us hobbits. Sensible, humble, salt-of-the-earth types, us.”

“Too, too true.”

“If you two are done, we’d better get on with looking for this Chimera before someone gets hurt!”

“Shhhh! Do you hear that?” Ryan stood by the half-open door, trying to listen to the grumbling conversation that grew louder and clearer with each passing moment. 

“I don’t like it, that’s all I’m saying. I don’t like being summoned by elves. Why can’t they come to us? It’s too high up here. Too many trees. I don’t trust it. I don’t trust them. That blond one keeps giving me funny looks. I don’t trust him.”

“Nor I Gimli, but I trust Gandalf, and Gandalf says it’s important.”

“Fine, let them have their say, let’s get this council meeting over with.”

The deep rumbling of the voices continued past the door and down the hall. Pippin and Merry peered around the door to where two short, wide figures were making their way down a stone path. 

“Are those dwarves Merry?”

“I think they are! I’ve never seen a dwarf, Pip!”

“Nor I! Should we follow them? They said they’re going to a meeting. I wonder if it’s about Frodo!”

“Wait a minute!” interrupted Graham. “Shouldn’t we be looking for the Chimera?”

“Yeah but… that’s Gimli! Son of Gloin!” Ryan could barely contain his excitement. “Besides, we haven’t got a better plan. How do we know the Chimera won’t show up and interrupt the Council of Elrond?”

“Alright, fine. And you called Yaz a nerd.”

*****************************************

“Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.”

The doctor scanned the TARDIS with her sonic and looked nervously at the read out. 

“Oh no this is not good. Not good at all.”

“Doctor? What’s going on, what’s not good?”

“Well, I’m sure I can figure it out, so don’t panic but… well she’s a bit low on fuel.”

“On fuel? But how? I mean… does the TARDIS even run on fuel?”

“Not exactly, that is to say, she doesn’t take gasoline or diesel or a byproduct of corn or anything no.”

“Well then, what is it?”

“Artron energy.”

“What?”

“Artron energy. It’s… a sort of benign radiation that exists in the time vortex. Oh dear. It’s hard to explain. It does a lot of things, one of which is to power the TARDIS. Whatever we had to go through to get where we are, it seems to have drained the TARDIS and, well, she won’t start unless we can refuel her.”

“OK, well, how do we do that?”

“Great question Yaz. Here’s another one. Do you remember if the book happens to conveniently mention a rift in time and space from which we could absorb some energy, thereby powering the TARDIS and allowing us to return to Sheffield in time to have tea with your mum?”

“Oh dear.”

“Yeah.”

“What do we do?”

“I suppose as long as she’s not going anywhere we ought to meet up with the others and find that chimera before it gets into any real trouble.”

“Great. Where to then?”

They fell silent, each realizing that in their eagerness to find the TARDIS they had completely lost track of where they’d come from. Finally, the Doctor spun around and pointed down a corridor.

“Come on, this way’s as good as any, no point mucking about – “

“Shhh Doctor! Voices!”

Two voices were indeed getting louder as their owners drew closer to where the doctor and Yaz stood. Yaz recognized the first as Elrond, but the other, a light, quick tenor, was unfamiliar to her.

“We are honored by your presence, Legoalas Greenleaf. Your father Thranduil has long been a friend of Rivendell.”

“I am equally honored to be here, though I wish I brought gladder tidings. My father wishes to convey to you that Gollum has escaped Mirkwood in the company of Orcs, and is surely on the hunt for Frodo and the ring.”

“Ahhh that is bad news indeed, though not wholly unexpected. Gollum has always been slippery and his single-minded quest for the ring makes him dangerous indeed. All the more important that the council reaches a decision about the ring quickly.”

“And what do you hope that decision will be?”

“You know as well as I, Legolas, that the ring must be destroyed…”

The two voices faded down a corridor. Yaz turned to the Doctor, wide-eyed. 

“The Council of Elrond! They’re on their way to the Coucil of Elrond! Doctor can we go? Please?”

“Yaz don’t be silly, we haven’t got time to eavesdrop on meetings!”

“But Doctor, everyone will be there! Gandalf and Aragorn and Boromir and Gimli and Legolas and – “

“Hang on, is this a big meeting?”

“Yes, people will have traveled from all over Middle Earth to come!”

“And will there be disagreements? Big personalities? Tempers running high, that sort of thing?”

“Well if the books are accurate, yes. Why?”

“My god, Yaz, don’t just stand there, we’ve got to get to the Council of Elrond!”

“But you just said – “

“Lots of people? Lots of yelling? Lots of fist banging and speech-making? Yaz, how does the Kymbra Chimera feed?!?”

“Ummmm…”

“Energy Yaz! It feeds on energy! And where’s the highest energy spot in Rivendell about to be?”

“The Council of Elrond?”

“Yes! Exactly! Brilliant!”

“So we go there and… then what?”

“Don’t you worry I’ve got a plan. A great plan. An infallible plan! At least, I will have. I will have a plan. By the time we get there, I’ll definitely have a plan!”

“But Doctor we can’t just barge in and – “

But the Doctor had already taken off down the corridor in pursuit of the two elves, and there was nothing for Yaz to do but follow.

*************************************************

“I can’t see, Pip, budge over!”

“You budge over you fat lump! I’m the one who can’t see! What’s Frodo doing?”

“Both of you shut up or they’ll all hear us!”

Merry, Pippin, Graham and Ryan huddled behind a tall pillar, gazing out into yet another resplendent courtyard. Elves, Dwarves, and Men sat looking on as a rather nervous hobbit walked to the center of a circle and placed something small on a stump. A hush fell over the circle as its members stared intensely at Frodo.

“Was that… the ring?” Ryan breathed.

“I think… I think it must’ve been. Boy I wish your Gran could’ve seen this.”

“Now who’s being too loud?”

“Yeah, hush up you two!”

While they bickered the conversation in the circle had begun again, its tone changing quickly from measured discussion to heated debate.

“Everyone shhh! I want to hear the council!”

The four fell silent as a tall, strongly built man stepped to the center of the circle.

“Why not use this ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy! Let us use it against him!”

“You cannot wield it! None of us can! The one ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master.”

“And what would a ranger know of this matter?”

It was the first man again, his voice, his face, his mannerisms. The only problem was he wasn’t the only one of himself. Beside him stood an identical copy and, as the members of the council looked from one to the other, no one could swear who had been there first. 

“Who the hell are you?” said one man to his twin.

“I should ask the same of you! How dare you mock the Steward-prince of Gondor in such a manner!”

“Mock myself? Impossible. Imposter, what black magic summons you here! Wizard, this is your doing!”

“Erm, well, no, not a wizard,” a voice cut in from just outside the circle. “Hi everyone, sorry to interrupt like this, Boromir, right? Good to see you again.”

“You again!” boomed both Boromirs, forgetting about each other to turn their wrath on the Doctor.

“Yes, me, really didn’t mean to barge in like this but as I’m sure you see you’ve got a bit of a problem and it might be a tiny bit my fault.”

“And who, may we ask, are you?” The deep voice was both soft and utterly clear. Everyone, including the Doctor, turned to look at the grey-robed man who now stood, his hand on the shoulder of the tiny hobbit next to him. He was the tallest of the council members and looked by far the oldest, and a slight twinkle in his clear eyes suggested that, in spite of the chaos, he found all this rather amusing. 

“Ah yes, of course, very rude of me. I’m the Doctor and this,” she said, gesturing behind her, “is Yaz. And I suspect that somewhere around here are two gentlemen named Graham and Ryan. Yes, there they are peeking out from behind that pillar there.” She waved at Graham and Ryan, who came sheepishly out from their hiding places. “And I’m guessing from the robes and hat that you must be Gandalf? Big fan you know, love wizards, they’re a lot like Time Lords you know.”

“And how do you come to be at this council meeting, claiming responsibility for the mysteriously doubled Boromir?”

“Funny story. My ship, I have a ship, she travels through time and space and she landed here. Not our intention of course, we were headed for the roaring twenties, not a universe that is supposed to be fictional, but anyhow, we had a bit of a stowaway.”

“And the stow away was a second Boromir?”

“Not exactly, no. See one of those is Boromir yes. But the other is a Chimera. Nasty creatures. Parasites. Take on the someone or something’s shape and then sustain themselves by draining their victims energy. The trouble is, it’s a bit hard to tell which is which. You’d find out eventually of course but by that time the life force would’ve been drained out of the victim. No one likes a lifeless Boromir.”

“So true. And what do you suggest we do?”

“Well first things first, we’ve got to figure out which is which, then trap it, stop it from shifting, and get it back to the TARDIS. That’s my ship. She’s parked in one of these corridors…”

As she spoke the two Boromirs eyed each other suspiciously. Finally one of them huffed and rolled his eyes, turning back to the council.

“Gentlemen! There’s no time for this! Gondor is fighting with everything it has. A decision must be reached about the ring!”

“Quiet you fake! You’re no heir to Gondor!”

“I have spent my life in defense of Gondor! Nothing matters but the fate of the ring! We should take it to Gondor and fight!”

“I will show you the meaning of fighting!”

The two squared off again, drawing swords.

“Oh dear, this is bad. Gandalf, quick what do you know about Boromir? Anything that could distinguish him?”

“Doctor?” Yaz broke in.

“Not now, Yaz, we’ve got to figure out which is the false Boromir!”

“Well I admit, I know Boromir only by reputation really - ”

“Doctor!”

“Yaz! This is really not the time for interruptions, I’m trying to think, maybe if I can get close enough with the sonic –“

“DOCTOR! His left hand!”

The Doctor paused, looking up. She turned to the Boromirs, then to Yaz, then back to the Boromirs again.

“Yaz! You beautiful genius! You brilliant thing you!”

“What have you discovered?” asked Legolas, joining their group, fitting an arrow to his bow. “Which should I shoot?”

“Out of the way, elf! My axe will take care of this! Just tell me where to swing!”

“Nobody is shooting and nobody is swinging! We don’t kill we capture. Now, the real Boromir cut his left hand last night but only one of the doubles has a bandage. Spread out and move in on the one with no wound!”

But the Doctor had spoken a little too loud and the imposter Boromir turned with a snarl. The group rushed in to try to contain the Chimera, who, in an attempt to escaped, tripped over Gimli and went flying, taking out Graham, Ryan, and Legolas. There was a tangle of writhing limbs and muffled yells and then BANG. Two Legolases jumped to their feet and stood facing the Doctor and Gandalf. 

The rest of the council stood nervously in a circle, not sure if they should approach and help or stay away and avoid causing more confusion. Aragorn had moved protectively in front of Frodo who looked on, wide-eyed, as if he were close to dropping in a dead faint. Yaz stood beside the Doctor while Graham, Ryan, and Gimli, having gotten quietly to their feet, slid behind the pair of Legolases and slowly began to close in.

“Doctor, if I may ask, how do you intend to contain this creature when we catch it?”

“Ah, well, I thought maybe you’d have some ideas? Maybe a good whack with your stick there?”

“Happily, although I’d hate to whack the wrong one.”

With a roar, Gimli lept forward onto one of the doubles, both of them tumbling to the ground with a painful thud. The second Legolas, meanwhile, tried to leap away, but Gandalf caught him with his staff and he stumbled and fell as well.

“Get off me, you stupid dwarf! You’ve got the wrong one!”

“That’s exactly what an impostor would say you maniac false elf! As if real elves weren’t bad enough!”

Grappling and cursing, the elf and the dwarf each tried to gain the upper hand. Meanwhile with another bang, two Gandalfs stood before them, tall hats slightly askew. 

“Ok Doc,” said Graham, “this is getting ridiculous. It’s just going to keep shifting until we find a way to contain it!”

“I know!” replied the Doctor, “but I unless you’ve got a great idea the best we can do is keep it busy and unable to get away! Spread out and surround it! And you people!” This to the circle of hovering Council members. “If you’re not going to help at least don’t let it get away!”

Seemingly from nowhere, two stones sailed over the heads of the crowd, each one hitting a Gandalf right in the pointy hat. The Gandalf on the left looked slightly bemused as his hat sailed off, exposing his long grey hair. But the Gandalf on the right let out a cry of pain as the stone bounced off what was clearly solid flesh. With twin battle cries two small figures hurtled into the circle, carrying between them a large chain-mail shirt. They leapt at the flesh-hatted Gandalf and knocked him down, pinning him under the chain-mail. The silvery links glittered in the sun and the Gandalf-shaped chimera struggled beneath them, unable to change shape or escape. 

“Merry! Pippin! Good lads, you’ve trapped him!” cried the Doctor, delighted. “What’s that you’ve used? It seems to be blocking the energy transfer the chimera needs to shift!”  
“Dunno,” replied Pippin, still struggling to hold the chimera down. “When all the hubbub started we headed back to the supply room and grabbed whatever looked useful. This seemed strong so we thought it might make a good net.”

“And,” added Merry, breathing heavily, “There’s some rope over there, if someone wouldn’t mind tying him up? Not that we’re not terribly strong but we could use a wee bit of help.”

“But how did you know which one to go after?” asked Ryan, hurrying to grab the rope.

“We remembered what the Doctor said about how it couldn’t make clothes so we figured whichever one had a hat attached to his head was the fake! Wizards are so tall, they make easy targets. If he’d been a hobbit you’d never have caught him!”

“But what is this stuff?” asked the Doctor, running her sonic over the chain-mail. I’ve never seen anything like it! Nor has the sonic. It’s clearly metal but how is it blocking energy transfer?”

“Mithril,” answered Gandalf. “Mined by Dwarves, fashioned by elves. It possesses many wonderful, magical properties but I’ll admit, this was one I wasn’t familiar with myself. Quick thinking and lucky guesswork on the part of Mr.’s Brandybuck and Took.”

“Hobbits! You are absolutely brilliant!” cried the Doctor, grinning.

“Indeed they are,” agreed the real Gandalf, picking up his hat. “Indeed they are.”

**********************************************

The afternoon was fading into evening as the Doctor and her companions stood by the TARDIS with Merry, Pippin, and Gandalf. The council had been postponed until the next day and most of the residents and guests of Rivendell, still wary of the Doctor and her crew, had retired to other parts of the town until the strangers had left. Gandalf walked a slow circle around the TARDIS, admiring the ship.

“There’s great magic in her. But you say she won’t work?”

“She’s out of fuel. She runs on Artron energy, but she was somehow drained coming here. Where is here, by the way? It’s a bit of a fairy tale in our world and yet here you all are, existing!”

Gandalf shook his head. “I don’t pretend to understand what lies beyond our known realms. Wizards have great wisdom and long lives, but even we who travel the most will never see all there is to see. You do strike me as a fellow traveler, Doctor.”

“I guess that’s one way to describe me, yes.”

“Perhaps we have much in common. May I see the inside of your ship?”

The Doctor grinned. “I don’t see why not. Merry? Pippin? Fancy a look?”

The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS doors and gestured to the wizard and the two hobbits. They walked in slowly, Merry and Pippin stopping in the doorway to gaze around in awe. 

“But… but it’s….”

“It’s bigger!”

“Yeah, it’s bigger on the inside!”

The Doctor and her companions laughed, but Gandalf strode to the steering consul, a serious look on his face. 

“You say she runs on time energy?”

“And space energy, yeah, I guess you could call it that.”

Gandalf touched his staff to the consul. The staff began to hum with energy as lights on the consul began to flicker on, weakly at first, then brighter. Gandalf began to chant quietly. Slowly, the TARDIS came to life.

“Gandalf!” cried the Doctor. “You did it! You did it? How did you do it?”

Gandalf smiled, his eyes dancing. “As I said Doctor, we have much in common. What you call Artron energy, many in this world call magic. I think perhaps it is the same thing. We have both lived long lives and seen many things. I hope someday you find your way back to this realm. I would be glad to hear your stories.”

He looked affectionately at Merry and Pippin who were laughing with Yaz, Ryan and Graham. 

“But alas, I think it is time we part. We must prepare to resume our Council and you must head for the stars. It has been an honor Doctor.”

“And honor indeed. I’m not sure how we crossed into this world but I do hope we meet again.”

“As do I.”

********************************************************

Three figures, one large and two small, stood silhouetted against the night sky in a small courtyard off a twisting corridor in Rivendell, facing a blue police box that stood out jarringly from its surroundings and yet looked oddly like it belonged. With a strange wheezing it blinked once, twice, and then disappeared entirely, but the three figures stood there for a long time afterwards, looking past where it had stood and out to the stars.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you liked the story and want to hear it dramatically read aloud, check out our podcast, World Stealers, on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you choose to listen!
> 
> https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/worldstealers


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